Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-13
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The charts below show the average percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Average percentages of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars in typical meals consumed in the USA
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The 3 pie charts illustrate the amount of sodium, saturated fat and sugar present in typical meals in USA.
The pie chart 1 represents the amount of sodium intake through typical meals. Following that pie chart 2 represents amount of saturated fat, whereas chart 3 shows the amount of sugar intake.
In the fisrt pie chart we can see that sodium intake is the highest through dinner at a whopping 43%. Following that is sodium intake through lunch at a 29% rate, Sodium intake is common at a 14% rate through snacks and breakfast. In pie chart 2 it is shown that like sodium saturated fat is highest in the meal consumed at dinner at a 37% rate. Lunch is the second highest with saturated fat at 26%.
Then unlike sodium in which snacks and breakfast show an equal percentage for saturated fat snacks shows a 5% higher rate than breakfast at 16%. For added sugar in pie chart 3 snacks show the highest percentage of sugar at 42%. Dinner shows a 23% of total sugar intake followed by luch at 19% but breakfast show the lowest amount of sugar which is 16%
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by identifying and reporting the main features of the three pie charts regarding sodium, saturated fat, and added sugar in the USA. Key data points, such as dinner being the highest source for sodium (43%) and saturated fat (37%), and snacks being the highest for added sugar (42%), are accurately cited and compared. However, the overview is missing entirely, which prevents the response from achieving a higher band. To reach a Band 7, the writer must include a clear overview statement summarising the main trends across the charts, such as the prominent role of dinner for sodium and saturated fats, and snacks for sugar.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The report shows a basic overall arrangement, but the paragraphing is poorly structured. The second paragraph is extremely short, and the third paragraph becomes an unmanageable block of text attempting to cover multiple charts simultaneously. Cohesive devices are repetitive and sometimes mechanical, relying heavily on phrases like 'Following that' and 'In pie chart 2'. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as shifting between referring to charts by number and by nutrient without smooth transitions. To improve, the writer should divide the body content into logical paragraphs dedicated to specific comparisons or nutrients, and employ a wider range of cohesive phrases.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'percentage', 'intake', and specific nutrient names. However, there are noticeable spelling and vocabulary errors, such as 'fisrt' instead of 'first', and 'luch' instead of 'lunch'. Colloplications and phrasing are sometimes repetitive ('sodium intake through', 'shows the highest percentage'). While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of flexibility and occasional lexical inaccuracies restrict the score to Band 5. Incorporating a broader variety of synonyms and precision vocabulary would elevate this score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though punctuation errors are frequent—notably missing commas after introductory phrases and missing full stops at the end of sentences (e.g., following 'Sodium intake is common at a 14% rate through snacks and breakfast'). There are also occasional grammatical slips, such as 'breakfast show' instead of 'breakfast shows'. Despite these errors, communication is rarely impeded, and the sentences are generally understandable. To achieve a higher band, the student needs to demonstrate better control over punctuation and ensure subject-verb agreement is consistently applied.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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